Wild Bill Guarnere made his final jump this past Saturday. CURRAHEE! I had the honor of meeting William “Wild Bill Guarnere and 17 other Easy Company’s vets during their reunion in Norfolk, VA in 2004. As someone who loves WW2 history I was heaven, to be in the same room and a chance to talk with these hero’s, and not one of them would call themselves a hero. I was there for about four hours. The next day came back for a Band of Brothers book signing with Easy Company. The HBO miniseries, based on a book by Stephen Ambrose, followed the members of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division from training in Georgia in 1942 through some of the wars fiercest European battles through the wars end in 1945. Bill Guarnere, whose combat exploits earned him his nickname “Wild Bill”, lost a leg while trying to help a wounded solider during the Battle of the Bulge. His commendations included the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were producers of the miniseries. Guarnere was portrayed by the actor Frank John Hughes. Tributes coming from actor John Hughes wrote: I’ve lost my hero and my friend. Knowing him made me a better man and playing him was the greatest honor of my life. Rest Easy, Bill... See you in the drop zone. CURRAHEE! “and Tom Hanks also paid tribute: This boy did his part in saving the world. Now, he joins the heroes. God speed to you, Wild Bill.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 16:42:24 +0000